Sacred Service That Is Unacceptable

In the days of ancient Israel, sacred service had to be rendered in harmony with Jehovah's laws.  (Exodus 30:9; Leviticus 10:1, 2) Likewise  today, there are requirements to observe if our sacred service is to be acceptable to Jehovah.  That is why Paul wrote to the Colossians:  "We . . .have not ceased  praying for you and asking  that you may be filled  with the accurate knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual comprehension,in order to walk worthily of Jehovah to the end of fully pleasing him as you go on bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the accurate knowledge of God.  (Colossians 1:9, 10) It is not up to us to determine the proper way  to worship God. Accurate Scriptural knowledge, spiritual comprehension, and godly wisdom are vital.  Otherwise, things can go terribly wrong.

Remember the Israelites in the days of Moses.  We read: "God turned and handed them over to render sacred service to the army of heaven."  (Acts 7:42)  Those Israelites had seen Jehovah's powerful acts in their behalf.  Yet,  they turned to other gods when they thought this would be to their advantage.  They were not loyal, and loyalty is a must if our sacred service is to be pleasing to God.  (Psalm 18:25)  True, few today would turn from Jehovah to worship stars or golden calves, but there are other forms of idolatry.  Jesus warned against serving "Riches," and Paul called covetousness idolatry.  (Matthew 6:24; Colossians 4:4)  Such kinds of idolatry are rampant and are a snare.  Think, for example, of someone who claims to follow Jesus but whose real  goal in life  is to become wealthy or whose real trust is in himself and his own ideas.  Who is really serving?  How different is he from the Jews of Isaiah's day who swore in Jehovah's name but credited his great acts to unclean idols? -Isaiah 48:1, 5.

Jesus also warned:  "The hour is coming when everyone that kills you will imagine he has rendered a sacred service to God." (John 16:2) Saul, who become the apostle Paul,  doubtless thought that he was serving God when he 'approved the murder of Stephen' and 'breathed threat and murder against the discipline of the Lord.'  (Acts 8:1, 9) Today, some perpetrators of ethnic cleansing and genocide also claim to worship God, but their worship is really directed to the gods of nationalism, tribalism, wealth, self, or some other deity.

Jesus said: "It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is him alone you must render sacred service." (Matthew 4:10)  He was speaking to Satan, but how vital it is that all of us heed his words!  Rendering sacred service to the Sovereign Lord of the universe is an elevated, fear-inspiring privilege. And what can be said about performing public service that is linked to our worship?  Doing this in behalf  of our fellowman is a joyful work that brings great happiness.  (Psalm 41:1, 2; 59:616) Still, such service brings real happiness only if it is offered wholeheartedly and in the right way.  Who are really worshiping God properly? Whose sacred service  does Jehovah accept?  We can answer such questions if we consider the third Bible word that has to do with  our worship.  This we will do in the following article. 

Next time: WHO ARE GOD'S MINISTERS TODAY?

The Watchtower, 2000